Seattle: Paget Press will soon begin a quarterly CD-ROM publication for NeXTstep computers featuring software reviews, buyer's information, and "disabled" applications that can be activated over the phone with a credit-card number, said Peggy Thompson, president of Paget Press.

The CD-ROM will be published quarterly, with a single-issue price of $25, said Thompson. The first issue is likely to compare features and specifications of third-party products.

Thompson sees CD-ROM as the ideal distribution medium for low-cost software "modules" that VARs and customers can use to build their own custom-application programs. A database at Paget Press will keep track of customer purchases and help a salesperson make recommendations.

"Over time, we will be able to offer frequent-buyer discounts and keep information about people's computing environments. It would be nice if you could call in and say, 'I need a modem,' and they know enough about your system to say, 'This is the modem that you need.' "

"In the end, our business will look like a cross between the Home Shopping Network, an office supply catalogue, and a book publisher," Thompson said.